An 18-Year-Old Nas Changes The Game In 60 Seconds

Long before his controversial marriage and divorce from Kelis, and shortly before he turned hip-hop upside down with his universally heralded debut album, Illmatic, Nas made his debut on Main Source’s 1991 album cut “Live At The BBQ.”

Heads who heard the song on Main Source’s criminally under-appreciated Breakin’ Atoms album were immediately put on notice that one of the best emcees hip-hop would ever see had just arrived on the scene.

Even Nas realized how powerful his debut verse was by naming his seventh album, Streets Disciple, after the opening line.

Street’s disciple, my raps are trifle

I shoot slugs from my brain just like a rifle

The then-18-years-old-Nas easily bodied Main Source emcee Large Professor’s verse as well as those of the other guest emcees, Akinyele and Joe Fatal.

Nas would team up again with Large Professor again a year later on his debut solo single, “Halftime,” which appeared on the soundtrack of the film Zebrahead as well as winding up on Illmatic in 1994.